Just A Dream
by Yondaime Namikaze
Summary: In preparation for the upcoming war, all young men aged between 12-18 must report and be trained as soldiers. On this day, Katniss's boyfriend promises her that he will return home and they will be married. However, a turn of events sends these promises into a downward spiral. This is just a dream. It has to be. This can't be real. Based on the song by Carrie Underwood.
1. Going To The Church That Night

**So…that first chapter was a little sad, no? For some reason, I seem to only write sad songfics. I'm glad that everyone liked it, so I will be continuing.**

**Few quick review replies and then the chapter will begin…**

**_HGFan1213_****: Thanks for your review. I'm mostly a Peeta/Katniss fan, but after reading Catching Fire and Mockingjay where Gale plays bigger parts in the stories, I started to enjoy a little Gale/Katniss as well.**

**_alwaysSeptember_****: Thanks for your review. There will be Peeta/Katniss in this story.**

**Okay, time for the next chapter. Please enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 2: Realizations  
Grade Level: 5.4

All eyes followed Katniss as she slowly walked up to the front of the church where the wooden box…Gale's wooden box had been placed. She could hear them whispering. They knew who she was. She didn't want their pity. She didn't need it either. As she walked, her eyes never strayed from the small sign that sat on top of the box. Over and over, she willed the words to change…that the name would read differently…that it wouldn't be Gale's. Unfortunately, the name wasn't changing. Gale was truly gone.

Stepping up to the box, Katniss ran her right hand over the smooth wood. The box was a plain one. Why would it be flashy if it was just going to be buried into the cold dank earth? Its only purpose was to provide a final resting space for the shell of a fallen soldier; the body of the man she loved and held so dear to her heart. Softly, she spoke to the wood, talking as if she was talking to an alive Gale standing right in front of her.

_Baby why'd you leave me?  
Why'd you have to go?  
I was counting on forever  
Now I'll never know  
I can't even breathe.  
It's like I'm looking from a distance  
Standing in the background  
Everybody's saying he's not coming home now.  
This can't be happening to me.  
This is just a dream._

Up until this point, she had allowed herself to remain stoic. Katniss Everdeen never cried. However, as she finished speaking these soft words to the wood of the box, her voice choked up in her throat and the tears began to glide softly from her eyes. As she let her emotions show, she felt a soft touch to her shoulder as another hand started to brush away the tears that had tracked down her cheeks. Looking toward her comforter, she saw that Peeta Mellark had broken from the formation to calm and console her.

Without giving any thought to her actions, she quickly turned to face him and gave him a hug, clinging to him as if her own life depended on it. She looked up slightly as he wrapped his own arms tightly around her own. He smiled a small sad smile and rubbed her back as she cried into his left shoulder. Even though she knew that her tears were dampening his military uniform, she couldn't stop and he didn't seem to mind; in fact, he just stood there, in the front of the church, holding her until she had calmed down.

"I'm sorry, Katniss," he whispered into her ear before they broke apart again. Peeta returned to his spot in the formation near the altar, but Katniss felt rooted to the spot. The way Peeta had said those three simple words…it sounded like there was something deeper than just the standard sympathy towards a girl who had just lost her fiancé. Of course, the words had come from Peeta, the kindest person that Katniss had ever known. Maybe he was always just overly sympathetic.

Slowly, Katniss moved to sit in one of the front pews. Her mind was racing, but she knew that she would have to listen to what the pastor had to say because he was going to tell those gathered about the arrangements for the funeral.

Glancing around, Katniss found her mother and Prim sitting across the aisle from Gale's mother, his brothers, and his sister. Katniss was glad to see Rory back with the family. At least Hazelle Hawthorne would not lose another man in her family. She had already lost her husband and her oldest son; Katniss did not want to imagine what would happen if Hazelle had lost Rory too.

When the preacher had finished telling them about the day of the funeral and graveside ceremonies, the gathered crowd began to disperse. Katniss hung back. She was not ready to leave yet; she was not ready to face the fact that she had entered the church as "Katniss Everdeen" and would leave the church with the same name. How she had looked forward to officially becoming "Katniss Hawthorne". Now that would never happen. Spotting her mother and sister standing with Gale's mother and siblings, she walked slowly toward them. The whole way, she debated whether calling herself "Katniss Everdeen Hawthorne" would be considered an honor or just shameful. Maybe she would ask Hazelle before they all left the church.

Now Katniss was beginning to understand how her mother had felt when her husband, Katniss's and Prim's father, had been killed. When you permanently lose someone you love, it leaves a gaping hole in your hole, one that is not easily fixable but never fatal enough to kill you.

Gale was gone. No matter how many times she said it, she still couldn't believe it. Her strong hunter, her protector, her wise hunting partner, her best friend, her boyfriend, her fiancé. He was so many things to her. He had been her everything, her reason for leaving. How would she ever survive without him?

* * *

**I know Katniss was really OOC in this chapter…but she did just lose the closest person to her. Even tough girls need a time to break down. Remember in the book/movie when Rue died? I guess that was kinda the effect I was going for with this one.**

**Sorry for this chapter being so short. I've been so busy with marching band camp and classes start on Monday. Also, I'm really tired. It's already after 1AM here and I have to be up again in 7 hours. Next chapter will be longer, I promise. So…until next time…**

**Posted: August 23, 2012**


	2. Realizations

**So…that first chapter was a little sad, no? For some reason, I seem to only write sad songfics. I'm glad that everyone liked it, so I will be continuing.**

**Few quick review replies and then the chapter will begin…**

**_HGFan1213_: Thanks for your review. I'm mostly a Peeta/Katniss fan, but after reading Catching Fire and Mockingjay where Gale plays bigger parts in the stories, I started to enjoy a little Gale/Katniss as well.**

**_alwaysSeptember_: Thanks for your review. There will be Peeta/Katniss in this story.**

**Okay, time for the next chapter. Please enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 2: Realizations

All eyes followed Katniss as she slowly walked up to the front of the church where the wooden box…Gale's wooden box had been placed. She could hear them whispering. They knew who she was. She didn't want their pity. She didn't need it either. As she walked, her eyes never strayed from the small sign that sat on top of the box. Over and over, she willed the words to change…that the name would read differently…that it wouldn't be Gale's. Unfortunately, the name wasn't changing. Gale was truly gone.

Stepping up to the box, Katniss ran her right hand over the smooth wood. The box was a plain one. Why would it be flashy if it was just going to be buried into the cold dank earth. Its only purpose was to provide a final resting space for the shell of a fallen soldier; the body of the man she loved and held so dear to her heart. Softly, she spoke to the wood, talking as if she was talking to an alive Gale standing right in front of her.

_Baby why'd you leave me?  
Why'd you have to go?  
I was counting on forever  
Now I'll never know  
I can't even breathe.  
It's like I'm looking from a distance  
Standing in the background  
Everybody's saying he's not coming home now.  
This can't be happening to me.  
This is just a dream._

Up until this point, she had allowed herself to remain stoic. Katniss Everdeen never cried. However, as she finished speaking these soft words to the wood of the box, her voice choked up in her throat and the tears began to glide softly from her eyes. As she let her emotions show, she felt a soft touch to her shoulder as another hand started to brush away the tears that had tracked down her cheeks. Looking toward her comforter, she saw that Peeta Mellark had broken from the formation to calm and console her.

Without giving any thought to her actions, she quickly turned to face him and gave him a hug, clinging to him as if her own life depended on it. She looked up slightly as he wrapped his own arms tightly around her own. He smiled a small sad smile and rubbed her back as she cried into his left shoulder. Even though she knew that her tears were dampening his military uniform, she couldn't stop and he didn't seem to mind; in fact, he just stood there, in the front of the church, holding her until she had calmed down.

"I'm sorry, Katniss," he whispered into her ear before they broke apart again. Peeta returned to his spot in the formation near the altar, but Katniss felt rooted to the spot. The way Peeta had said those three simple words…it sounded like there was something deeper than just the standard sympathy towards a girl who had just lost her fiancé. Of course, the words had come from Peeta, the kindest person that Katniss had ever known. Maybe he was always just overly sympathetic.

Slowly, Katniss moved to sit in one of the front pews. Her mind was racing, but she knew that she would have to listen to what the pastor had to say because he was going to tell those gathered about the arrangements for the funeral.

Glancing around, Katniss found her mother and Prim sitting across the aisle from Gale's mother, his brothers, and his sister. Katniss was glad to see Rory back with the family. At least Hazelle Hawthorne would not lose another man in her family. She had already lost her husband and her oldest son; Katniss did not want to imagine what would happen if Hazelle had lost Rory too.

When the preacher had finished telling them about the day of the funeral and graveside ceremonies, the gathered crowd began to disperse. Katniss hung back. She was not ready to leave yet; she was not ready to face the fact that she had entered the church as "Katniss Everdeen" and would leave the church with the same name. How she had looked forward to officially becoming "Katniss Hawthorne". Now that would never happen. Spotting her mother and sister standing with Gale's mother and siblings, she walked slowly toward them. The whole way, she debated whether calling herself "Katniss Everdeen Hawthorne" would be considered an honor or just shameful. Maybe she would ask Hazelle before they all left the church.

Now Katniss was beginning to understand how her mother had felt when her husband, Katniss's and Prim's father, had been killed. When you permanently lose someone you love, it leaves a gaping hole in your hole, one that is not easily fixable but never fatal enough to kill you.

Gale was gone. No matter how many times she said it, she still couldn't believe it. Her strong hunter, her protector, her wise hunting partner, her best friend, her boyfriend, her fiancé. He was so many things to her. He had been her everything, her reason for leaving. How would she ever survive without him?

* * *

**I know Katniss was really OOC in this chapter…but she did just lose the closest person to her. Even tough girls need a time to break down. Remember in the book/movie when Rue died? I guess that was kinda the effect I was going for with this one.**

**Sorry for this chapter being so short. I've been so busy with marching band camp and classes start on Monday. Also, I'm really tired. It's already after 1AM here and I have to be up again in 7 hours. Next chapter will be longer, I promise. So…until next time…**

**Posted: August 23, 2012**


End file.
